


In a world where Katherine is a little more emotionally mature, and a little bit more queer

by that_one_scared_gay



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Kinda, this is entirely self-indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2020-10-10 16:17:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20530907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_one_scared_gay/pseuds/that_one_scared_gay
Summary: i'm not entirely sure what this is. i just felt like writing something where Katherine was queer and actually knew how to handle emotions. updates sporadically.





	1. Chapter 1

You were walking through the Lockwood mansion when you spotted Stefan and Elena talking to Matt. The human boy left, and you used your enhanced hearing to eavesdrop. 

“Ugh! His eyes are so _blue_.”

Your eyes widened. If you still had a heart, it would’ve sped up. You licked your lips. 

Walking closer to the “couple”, you made sure your voice could be heard. 

“I’m a little insulted.”

Immediately, two pairs of eyes focused on you as you stopped in front of the two. Ignoring your brother, you turned to the girl who had haunted your dreams since you met.

“Elizabeth,” she breathed. 

“Katherine.” You turned to Stefan, “Where’s your girlfriend?”

He side-eyed Katherine, but the other woman had her attention completely focused on you. Your brother met your eyes. 

“She’s on her way.”

You turned back to your ex. “Then _you_ should get the hell out of here.” Your tone was too soft for the words you were saying, but you paid it no mind, offering your arm to Katherine.

She grins, and you curse the butterflies that pop up in your stomach because of it.

Katherine takes your arm, and together you make your way out the back door into the Lockwood grounds. 

When you start walking through the grounds, she makes to start talking, but you interrupt her. 

“Why are you here, Katherine?”

She stops, making you halt with her. She looks up at you from under her eyelashes in a way that used to make you swoon. You tell yourself that was only in the past.

“Maybe I missed you.”

You hum. “Not likely, considering I had to be the one to find you.”

“It’s not my fault you’re hard to find.”

You laugh disbelievingly. “I’ve been staying at the boarding house, like my brothers.”

“Well, you weren’t there last night,” Katherine says. She lets go of your arm and starts circling you. You let her. “And you weren’t at the parade yesterday. Trust me, I looked.”

“I have better things to do than attend a parade celebrating dead men.”

She stops circling when she’s back in front of you. “See? I did look for you.”

“I’m flattered,” you murmur. “But considering the last time we talked was over a century ago, I can’t imagine why you’d come see me now.”

You see her glance at your lips, but she quickly moves her eyes back to yours. “There was the small issue of you thinking I was dead.”

“And who’s fault is that?” You start walking again, trusting that she’ll catch up to you. She does, and grabs your hand, interlocking your fingers. You consider wrenching yourself away, but ultimately give in to the contact.

“Did it work, at least? Does _he_ know you’re alive?” You feel her tense beside you, but you keep walking, looking straight ahead. 

“It worked,” Katherine says finally, “he thinks I’m dead. Everyone who matters does.”

You feel a pang of hurt at that, but you try not to let it show. Katherine must notice, though, because you feel her look at you. You turn to her and she looks away.

“Or, well, until Damon decided to open the tomb and fuck everything up.” She says it in a disdainful tone, but squeezes your hand at the same time, so you know better. 

“Don’t blame my brother for making him fall in love with you.” You try not to pay attention to her hurt look when you let go of your hand, but it still tugs at your heartstrings. “So what, you fixed your little problem with the tomb vampires, and now you’re here to tie up the last few loose ends?”

You wait while she processes what you just said. You can tell the exact moment she realizes it. Her entire body tenses, and in a millisecond she is standing in front of you. 

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?”

You raise your eyebrows and feign a smile. “It’s not smart to have people know you’re alive when you’re not supposed to be, Katherine. I’m sure you can understand that.”

Katherine, for her part, looks incredulous. “I’m not here to _kill you_.”

You still feel anxious. “And my brothers?”

She shakes her head, still looking at you like you’re insane. “I’m not going to kill them either. How- how do you even come up with this stuff, Elizabeth?” The last part is almost whispered under her breath, her head bowed, but of course you hear it.

When she looks back at you she’s smiling, and it’s genuine. “You still manage to surprise me. I’m glad that hasn’t changed.” The look on her face brings back memories. Memories you can’t afford to dwell on. You turn away from her. 

“Well,” you say harshly, “a lot else has.”

“My feelings haven’t,” she says quietly.

You turn so quickly your neck almost snaps. Then you shake your head, huffing out a laugh as you try to get a hold of yourself. “Well maybe this is news to you, but I’ve never really known what those are.”

She steps closer to you and looks into your eyes. “I love you, Elizabeth.”

You want to believe her. You really, really do. But Katherine already fooled you once. She played you and your brothers like fiddles, and while you were the one who said things had changed, you know a lot of it remained the same.

“If you love me,” you say, “why did you kiss my brother?”

She doesn’t answer, and frankly she doesn’t have to. You can fill in the blanks. Because she wanted to. Because it’s fun. Because she likes to manipulate people and leave their broken pieces behind.

“I’m sorry,” is what she finally says.

You look at her, surprised that she’d actually apologize.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” she continues. “It’s just, old habits. Not that that makes it okay.” She isn’t meeting your eyes, and that’s how you know she’s telling the truth.

Katherine is the kind of person that can lie to someone’s face without regret. Right now she’s embarrassed, maybe even a little afraid of your reaction.

“It’s not okay,” you tell her. You see her swallow, still looking away, and keep going. “But for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re not dead. _And_ that you haven’t been starving for 145 years.”

She finally looks back at you. Suddenly you realize how close the two of you have gotten. Even while wearing heels, she still has to tilt her chin up to look at you. You see her glance at your lips, and before you can stop yourself you’re looking at hers as well. There is a moment where you are in perfect stillness, and then you are closing the gap.

Her lips are as soft as they were 145 years ago, kissing you in secret behind bedroom walls and rose bushes. You melt into it the same as you did back then, closing your eyes and letting your hands come up to frame her face. She chases your lips when you start pulling back, and you exchange more kisses before you finally pull away. You feel her sigh against you as you press your foreheads together.

“Fuck,” you say. You feel lightheaded. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“What is it?” You feel her eyes on you as she murmurs the question, but keep yours closed and your forehead pressed against hers. Her voice has taken on a breathy quality to it.

“I think I still love you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had a lot of fun writing this. elizabeth is absolutely screwed, and she knows it.
> 
> edit: i added back the parentheses i had in my draft, both in this chapter and the next one. i like the vibe they give off too much

You feel her smile before you see it. You open your eyes and she’s looking at you like you’ve hung all the stars in the sky, and your heart _throbs_. You pull away from her because you’re scared of what else you could do in this state.

Not that you haven’t already fucked up, judging by how she’s looking at you still.

“Don’t start getting ideas,” you say. Your voice is still too low, and you catch her glancing at your lips in a way that makes it clear she already has thousands of them. “I am very good at repressing my feelings.”

The smile hasn’t slipped from her face yet. 

“But where’s the fun in that?” Coy, playful, and oh so familiar. You find yourself smiling before you can stop it, and look away so she doesn’t see.

(there’s no doubt about it, you’re still very much in love with this woman. fuck.)

(you’re also older now, and more mature. and you weren’t lying about being able to suppress your feelings, so you push them all into the back of your mind and say your piece)

“I’m not playing this game with you again Katherine. I won’t.” 

(you can’t)

You know how Katherine works. You know this is the part where she teases you, tries to seduce you and make you forget all your resolve. She surprises you again.

“Then we won’t play.” She takes your hand and pulls you to her, and you let her kiss you again.

(you pretend every part of your body doesn’t sing when your lips touch)

“We’ll do it right this time,” she says. “No games, I promise.”

You almost want to laugh, because Katherine and ‘no games’ simply don’t go together, but you look at her and she’s earnest, serious in a way you’ve only seen a precious few times. You think maybe she really means it.

“I don’t know if I can trust you again,” is what you say, and the hurt on her face makes you ache, but you need to say this. “You hurt me. You _wrecked_ me, Katherine. You absolutely ruined the relationship I had with my brothers, _and_ their relationship with each other.” 

She looks away from you again, and there’s that embarrassment, that _regret_, and you know you’re making the right choice with your next words.

“But if you’re serious about… doing this properly, you’re welcome to try.”

She turns back to you so fast it could have been comical. You allow yourself a grin as she processes, eyes wide and lips barely parted. Then she smirks, and you know this whole ‘repressing your feelings’ thing is gonna be much harder now than all the other times.

“You want me to woo you?” She asks, looking so pleased at the prospect you wonder if it’s something she’s wanted to do before.

“Essentially, yes,” you say. Her smile widens.

“As in, take you out on dates, and buy you flowers and chocolate and all that stuff?” She looks like she’s enjoying herself just thinking about it.

“It doesn’t have to be that cliche,” you say, even though the idea of the girl you love bringing you flowers makes you feel warm all over.

“You like cliches,” she says, lost in thought and already mulling over how she’ll go about wooing you, and you love that she still knows this. “We can do other things as well. Have you ever been to Paris?”

You laugh.

Yes, you’ve been to Paris, but Katherine is getting ahead of herself. You know she didn’t come to Mystic Falls just for you.

“Didn’t you have business here in town?” you ask, “I think Paris can wait a little.”

She seems to realize that, yes, she did have other reasons for being here, but she covers it up quickly enough. The fact that the opportunity to win you over was so exciting she forgot the other things she had to do is doing wonders for your ego.

“I already said why I was here, didn’t I? I missed you.”

You roll your eyes. You knew she wasn’t giving up her games, but at least this other thing probably doesn’t have to do with you.

“You’re Katherine Pierce. You always have more than one reason to do things. And I happen to know you’re an excellent multitasker.”

It’s a dig at what happened back in 1864, and she knows it. She purses her lips at you and frowns.

“Yes, there is something else. But it doesn’t involve you.”

You’re sure that’s true to a point. But you have an inkling it has to do with one Elena Gilbert, which means Stefan and Damon will get _themselves_ involved, and you might have to make an uncomfortable choice in the future.

However, now is not the time for that.

“Okay.”

Katherine’s face softens. “Yeah?” she asks, like she’s surprised you’re letting it go so easily.

“Yeah.” You nod. “Whatever you’re here to do is your business.”

She smiles. “So we’ll probably have to hold off on Paris for a bit, but in the meantime…” She steps closer to you and wraps her arms around your neck. You roll your eyes, even as a smile tugs at your lips, and bring your hands to her waist.

She kisses you and you sigh into her mouth. God, you’ve missed this. One of your hands comes up to frame her face and you tilt your head, deepening the kiss. Her scent, still lemony, as if she’d been using the same body wash since 1864. 

It’s over way too soon.

“So,” Katherine says after you’ve pulled away, breathing heavily. “Does this mean you’ll give me a chance?”

“Yes.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew! this took me just a little longer to write
> 
> anyways, have your salvatore angst, next chapter is fluff! i think!

You’re still reeling from your reunion with Katherine when you make it back to the boarding house that night. There is a part of you that’s mad you let her back in so quickly. A larger part of you is thrilled.

Katherine seemed genuine about getting back together. You suppose you’ll have to wait and see how this turns out.

Her actions always speak louder than her words.

You decide to take a shower, humming a song you haven’t even thought of since the 1890s. God, this whole thing with Katherine is making you nostalgic.

You step out of the bathroom and hear voices downstairs. Damon’s gotten home. And… is that Katherine?

You focus your hearing on the living room.

“Don’t pout,” Damon is saying, “it’s not attractive on a woman your age.”

“Ouch,” Katherine murmurs, and you tense, because you know that tone of voice. Except- “I’m not here for you, anyway. Do you know where Elizabeth is?”

The tension slips out of your body. _‘She might actually be serious about this.’_

“Why?” Your brother tries his hardest to sound disaffected. “I don’t think she wants to see you,” he mocks. Typical Damon. Trying to rile someone up without even knowing what he’s going on about.

“Based on this afternoon I’d say that’s a lie,” Katherine says, but even upstairs you hear the undercurrent of doubt in her tone.

“What are you talking about?”

You decide it’s time to make yourself known.

In a flash, you’re inside the living room. Katherine is sitting on the couch, looking as if she owns the place, while Damon stands next to his drink rack. Both of them look up at your appearance, but while Katherine breaks into a smile when she sees you, your brother is frowning, jaw clenched in the way he does when he doesn’t understand something and is trying his damndest not to show it.

You nod at him, then turn to the woman you haven’t been able to stop thinking about since this afternoon. 

“You wanted to see me?”

Her smile widens.

“You know, I’m the one who’s supposed to be hard to find.”

You roll your eyes. “I was taking a shower.”

Katherine doesn’t miss a beat. “Without me?”

You feel a smile tug at your lips without your permission. You’re trying to figure out a suitable comeback when you’re reminded of the third presence in the room.

“Okay, what the hell is going on?”

Your turn your head towards Damon. Shit, you’d forgotten he was there at all. He looks between you and Katherine, and when he speaks it’s an accusation.

“You’ve been talking to her?” There is disbelief plain in his voice, and behind that a hurt that stems from betrayal.

“I only saw her this afternoon,” you say. You turn to Katherine. “What _are_ you doing here?”

She smiles up at you from the couch, devilish. “I wanted to see you.”

Internally, you marvel at the fact she’s saying this in front of your brother. She’s never this upfront, and she never would have done something like this before. It makes you feel giddier than you probably should.

“Wait,” Damon interrupts, “you two…”

You avert your eyes, and you’re saved from having to answer when Katherine speaks up.

“She’s giving me another chance,” she says softly. 

You raise your head to see her already looking at you, and you shiver.

“We’re going to try again.” She holds your gaze as she says it.

“Try _what_ again?” Damon looks between you with a wild look in his eyes. “Elizabeth, what is she talking about?”

You close your eyes. “Damon…”

“Don’t _Damon_ me,” he snaps. “What the _hell_ is going on?”

You still. Your breathing stops, and though you don’t need it, you feel it consciously. If it still beat, your heart would have stopped too. You hate it. Years and years and still that tone used like _that_ is enough to make all your muscles tense.

And it’s terrible, because as much as your body is geared up for a fight, you still feel something in your chest sinking, and the shame is almost enough to drown you.

(you hate this. you hate it and _God_ it’s been _one hundred and forty-five years_. you shouldn’t still feel so _guilty_)

(and you’re not. you’re not, you’re _not_ and goddamn it it’s the 21st century this isn’t a _fucking issue there’s nothing_ wrong _with you_)

You’re not guilty. You refuse to be. So you open your eyes and move to speak and just tell your brother the _truth_, finally, but Katherine beats you to it. 

“Elizabeth and I were in a relationship, when she was still human,” she says.

(and how can she do that, you think. how can she be so confident in herself, in _this_, and you’re simultaneously jealous and so very very glad)

“And now we’re going to try again.”

It’s a good thing none of you have heartbeats. Otherwise they were sure to be exceedingly loud in the silence that overtook the room. You look at Damon, watching him closely for his reaction. A host of emotions pass through his face. Shock, hurt, confusion, hurt again, then anger. 

“What, so me and Stefan weren’t enough for you? You just _had_ to have a third.” 

Despite the situation, you let out a breath of relief. The anger isn’t directed at you. At least not yet.

“I’ll admit, that was kind of a bitchy thing to do.”

You don’t know who’s more shocked by her admitting it. You, Damon, or Katherine herself. You feel like you’re getting whiplash. How many more surprises will happen today? 

Damon is the first to recover.

“Then what’s the truth?” His voice is tired, resentful. You don’t need to ask what he’s talking about.

Neither does Katherine. 

She gets up from the couch, walking around it to stand between you and Damon. She looks at you, but her expression is indecipherable. You swallow. She turns to your brother. 

“The truth is… I was never in love with you, Damon. You or Stefan. It’s always been her.” You’re certain you can feel your blood pounding in your ears, but that’s impossible. “And I was stupid to try and pretend otherwise.”

You feel Katherine’s eyes on you, but you keep yours on your brother.

He was looking at Katherine when she spoke, but now he turns to you. The hurt you see in his eyes roots you to the spot. You can’t move a muscle, only stare into the eyes of your brother and see his heart breaking. 

At some point he had balled his hands into fists. His jaw is clenched. If you look closely, you can tell his entire body is trembling. His face settles into something hard. 

Then, he’s gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not gonna lie, this is not my favorite chapter. it's also considerable shorter than the other ones, sorry. BUT! chapter five is nearly done (i think), so hopefully it won't take much longer to post it.
> 
> also it gets slightly steamy at the end but i don't think it's all that much

You stare at the spot your brother had stood in before he sped away.

_Well_, you think wryly, _now_ that’s _out in the open._

You think maybe you should be panicking. You think maybe you _would_ be panicking, but it seems like your mind has disconnected from your present situation. 

Movement from behind you reminds you that you’re not alone.

You turn to see Katherine was also looking at where Damon had been. Now she looks at you with an uncomfortable expression on her face.

“Where do you think he went?” she asks, taking a tentative step towards you.

You don’t have to think much on it.

“To get his heart broken twice in one night, I think.”

Katherine makes a face. “The Gilbert girl?” 

You nod.

“You know, for someone who’s supposedly moved on from me, Stefan has a funny way of showing it.”

You huff out a laugh, but your mind is racing, and you murmur almost absent-mindedly: “I guess he’s gonna know now too.”

You wonder if Damon will tell him. 

“Well, that’s one way for them to find out I like girls.”

Katherine stops abruptly. Her eyes widen.

“They didn’t-” she stares at you, eyes holding a kind of fear you are painfully familiar with. “I’m sorry, I thought-” She cuts herself off. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

You feel your face soften, and the ghostly pounding in your chest calms down a bit, falls into the backdrop. You hold out your hand and pull her to you, your chin coming up to rest on the top of her head.

“I’m glad you did,” you murmur. You mean it too. You had forgotten about her confession amidst your anxieties. Now you feel joy rise up in you.

_“It’s always been her.”_

For Katherine to admit something like that in public (in front of _your brother_, which is about as public as you need to get), is huge. You never would have dreamed of it.

Her voice muffled into your neck pulls you out of your thoughts. “I still didn’t mean to out you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” you say. “I know that wasn’t comfortable for you. Being so… open.”

Katherine pulls away so she can look you in the eyes.

“I told you, I’m doing it right this time.” She says it with a quiet conviction that erases the last doubts from your mind.

“I know,” you tell her. Then, because you can’t help yourself, you dart your eyes down to her mouth. She notices, because of course she does.

“When you say I’m welcome to woo you, does that mean we have to… take it slow?”

You lick your lips, watching her eyes track the movement. “I don’t remember saying that, no.”

She steps closer to you again, so close you can feel her breath on your lips. “Well in that case, you wouldn’t mind if I did this?” She closes the distance between you, lips slanting against yours. You tilt your head, placing one hand on the back of her neck.

She lets out a breathy sigh, and you take the opportunity to push your tongue into her mouth. She groans, and you abruptly remember you have vampire speed. In a second you have her pinned to the wall, arms above her head.

Neither of you need to breathe, but old habits die hard. You pull away for just a second, just long enough to satisfy the phantom burning in your lungs, then you’re attacking her lips again, this time nudging a knee between her legs. She grinds down on you, and your lips start making their way down her jaw, sucking and biting with human teeth.

You press your knee more firmly against her crotch, and she makes a noise that has your head spinning, panting harshly against her neck.

“Bed,” she gasps out, sounding just as wired as you feel. “Now.”


	5. Chapter 5

Waking up alone isn’t a surprise, but it is unwelcome. 

It’s also uncomfortably familiar.

You push the feeling aside and start gathering the clothes that are scattered through your room. You think they’re not all _in your room_ though. You have a vague memory of shirts coming off while you were still in the living room, and you resolve to get to that before Stefan or Damon find it. 

A quick burst of vampire speed has you in and out of the living room in a flash, and you note that only _your_ clothes were found outside your room. Katherine must have taken hers when she left, or what was left of them, anyway. You go back to cleaning your room, but pause when you find a bra that most definitely does not belong to you. 

Your lips twitch up into a smirk when you realize just _where_ you found it. Hanging on the corner of your bookshelf. The one place in the room you and Katherine hadn’t even gotten _close_ to last night. And it’s the only thing she left behind.

This too is familiar. Leaving behind clues to reassure you that she’d been there. Although they’d never been this bold before.

Before, you’d worried being outed would mean death. Now those worries have shifted into something slightly less fatal.

A cold feeling settles in your stomach as you realize you’ll have to face your brothers today.

_‘Or,’_ says the little voice in your head, _‘we could stay in here and not show our face all day.’_

Appealing as that sounds, you know you can’t do that.

Before you exit your room, you listen for either of your brothers in the house. There’s nothing, but that doesn’t necessarily mean much. You make it downstairs to the living room and find Damon sprawled on the couch, staring blankly into the fireplace.

He looks up when he hears you come in, but he doesn’t say anything. You quietly make your way to an armchair on the right side of the couch, tension buzzing beneath your skin.

It feels like an eternity before Damon breaks the silence.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

You swallow. “It was the 19th Century. They would’ve had me killed. Or sent to a conversion camp. I couldn’t- there was no way I could tell anyone.”

“You could’ve told me.”

You don’t take your eyes off the floor (when had you started staring at it?), but you shake your head. “I couldn’t be sure,” you whisper, “I’m sorry.”

You hear movement from his direction, and then a hand is laying on your shoulder. You barely manage not to flinch.

“You shouldn’t be sorry,” he says. “Not about this.”

You finally get the courage to look up, and when you do there’s no judgement in his gaze.

“I wouldn’t have hated you,” Damon says. He looks above your head. “When I- when I was deployed, I met two men in my platoon who were... involved. They were hiding, I only found out because I walked in on them.” He pauses, eyes far away. “They were terrified. They thought I was going to report them, and then they’d probably be killed. I didn’t even think of that. They seemed so normal, laying there together. I never thought it was wrong.”

You listen, breath held taught, enraptured.

“They made me swear not to tell anyone. I’ve kept that promise until now.” Here, he looks back to you. “I wouldn’t have hated you,” he repeats.

You get up, shrugging his hand off your shoulder, and when you turn to him his arms are already open. You hug him tight, head fitting into the crook of his neck. 

“Thank you,” you breathe, voice muffled by his shoulder.

“This isn’t something you have to thank me for,” he replies, kissing the top of your head.

You’re not sure how long the two of you stand there. You’re content to just hug your brother like this. God, when was the last time you and Damon _hugged_?

(a long time ago. so long you forgot what it felt like)

After a while, Damon pulls away.

“So,” he starts, and you know from his tone that he’s all business again. “Katherine.”

You wince. 

“Yeah...”

Your brother scoffs, running a hand through his hair. “She really got all of us, huh?” 

You nod silently.

“And now you’re going to _try again_.”

“Yeah, I… I don’t trust her. Not- not yet, not completely. But it seems like she’s serious.”

(and isn’t that so strange, for Katherine to be serious about something. just thinking about it makes your skin tingle)

“I can’t blame you for it. I know _I’d_ do the same thing.” The next part is muttered, not meant for you to hear: “Maybe I just wanted things to go my way for once.”

You pause, considering his stance, the defeated sag of his shoulders. You knew last night that your brother would fall back of self-destruction, but just this once you hate being right.

“You went to see Elena.”

The silence is answer enough.

“Damon, tell me you didn’t do anything stupid.”

He doesn’t flinch, only stares blankly into the space in front of him. “She hates me now. I made sure of it.”

You don’t know what to say. You want to help, to put your hand on his shoulder and offer comfort, but you feel that might a little too much like rubbing salt in the wound.

At that moment, your phone buzzes with a text. You take the distraction gratefully.

**Unknown Number:** meet me at the old spot today?

You don’t have to think too hard to guess who it is.

**You:** how did you get my number?

You only have to wait a few seconds for a response.

**Unknown Number:** i have my ways ;)

You scoff at the fact she’d actually used an emoticon.

Suddenly, you hear the wind-rushing sound of a vampire speeding away. You look up to find Damon is no longer in the living room. Focusing your hearing, you realize he’s left the boarding house. You spare a moment to think _please don’t do anything stupid_ at him, and then your phone buzzes again.

**Katherine:** well?

**You:** i’ll be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew! so it's been a hot minute. 
> 
> first off, thank you to all eight of you that subscribed to this story. second off, i'm not completely happy with how this chapter turned out, and as always, this is more wish-fulfillment than anything else. i just wanted to post something, because it's been a while.
> 
> kudos are great, but comments are lifeblood! (advice i should be better at following)  
if you enjoyed this chapter, drop by and say it! incoherent screaming is also welcome


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well. how are you all dealing with quarantine? i've been ignoring my schoolwork and writing gay fanfiction!
> 
> get ready for entirely self-indulgent fluff
> 
> this is like super short, but i hope you guys like it.

It’s easy to find the place in the woods where you and Katherine used to meet up.

Perhaps it’s easier than it should be.

When you get there, Katherine is waiting for you. At her side is a picnic basket and blanket.

You feel a smile tugging at your lips and allow it to blossom.

“You’re taking me out on a picnic date?”

(dear lord, you are screwed)

Katherine shifts her weight from one foot to the other. “Well, I can’t exactly go around town. For… obvious reasons.”

Yeah, you think the people of Mystic Falls might question it if “Elena Gilbert” went to a fancy restaurant with her boyfriend’s sister. 

“Makes sense,” you say. Then you walk up and kiss her. You linger for a few moments and you’re both smiling when you pull away. You feel a warmth blossom in you at the sight of her smile. 

(so, _so_ screwed)

“Okay then, Miss Pierce. I’m ready to be wooed.”

You lay out the blanket, and you find that inside the basket are a multitude of little snacks and delicacies, including a delicious-smelling blueberry pie. Your favorite.

You look at Katherine. “When did you get the time to do this?”

“I didn’t. I compelled the owner of my bed and breakfast into making it.”

You nod understandingly and take a piece of the pie. “Well, whoever they are, tell them they did a tremendous job.”

The two of you eat in silence for a few minutes.

It’s comfortable in the way waking up alone isn’t. The two of you used to do this all the time, back in the day. Sneak off to this same clearing and bring food, even if Katherine didn’t really need it.

It was one of the only times you could be alone.

When the food is mostly demolished, you lean back against a tree trunk and Katherine positions herself between your legs, back fitting snugly into your front.

“This is nice,” she says quietly. You can tell how much she appreciates it by how relaxed she is, practically pliant against you.

“It is nice,” you agree. You bring your chin over her head, tucking her into the crook of your neck. “You’ve been exhausted, haven’t you?”

Katherine hums in agreement, tracing your arms where they encircle her. “Plotting. Lots of plotting.”

“Ah, yes. The _other_ reason you’re here. This plan of yours, that you’re not going to tell me.”

“No,” Katherine agrees. “Although, for the purpose of transparency, you should know that I’m stringing a werewolf along for this. But... there are no feelings involved whatsoever.”

You still behind her.

“A werewolf?”

“Yes.”

“Those are real?”

At this, she turns her head back towards you. “Is that your only problem with this?”

You roll your eyes. “Well I can’t say I like it,” you say, “but knowing you, you’ve been working on this plan for years. Certainly before you knew I’d be back in town.”

She’s still looking at you with a disbelieving expression. You realize you’ll have to reinforce your assertion.

“You use people, when you have to,” you say softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve known _that_ for years. It’s not exactly a surprise.”

Katherine doesn’t look convinced.

“Besides,” you continue, “it’s not like I stayed celibate this past century either.”

Katherine grimaces lightly. “Right.”

“Okay, first of all, I _know_ you’re not gonna hold that against me. That would be _incredibly_ hypocritical of you.”

“I know. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“You were dead, as far as I knew. For over a century.”

“I know. But you still loved me.”

Now it’s your turn to still.

“Love… is a very strong word,” you say. You feel her tense in front of you. “But… yeah, I did. I do.”

The tension dissipates from her body and she turns around to face you completely. “I love you too. Come on.”

She tugs you away from the tree trunk, guiding you to lie on the picnic blanket. You think for a moment she’s going to straddle you, but she just lies down next to you, curling her body against yours.

“Hold me?” she asks, quiet enough that a human wouldn’t be able to hear.

“Of course,” you respond.

(_forever_, you think, _i’d hold you forever_.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again i feel obligated to inform you that there is no plot to this whatsoever. i'm making it all up as i go. i have no idea how i'm gonna deal when actual show!plot stuff becomes relevant.
> 
> but that's for later. hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> and special thanks to @Not_So_Dark_One for commenting on the last chapter!


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